Does your bread seem under baked at 200, is that why you are concerned about getting it to 210? How is the crust? Baking the bread for that long might produce a very tough crust? Last loaf I baked and checked the temperature, which I rarely do, it was 205 and perfectly baked on the inside. Which dough are you using?

Hi Jeff and Zoe
I have just bought your book HeaLTHY bREAD in 5 minutes a day and am very excited to try every recipe but as i live in Melbourne Australia I am not sure about the vital wheat gluten or where to get it here.I particularly want to bake betsys seeded oat bread pg 147 so i appreciate that it is important to use it. Is bread improver the same thing? It contains emulsifier,soy,wheat and malt flour. Your reply would be greatly appreciated as i cant wait to get started.
Regards Nicole

This isn’t my first question, so I thank you in advance for your patience. I’ve been using your book(s) since the first one appeared and have had mostly great success. I recently wrote you about a dough that was so wet it was comical when I struggled to get it to stay on the stone, but it produced absolutely the best bread ever. However, all of my recent batches have been too wet and the finished product hasn’t been as great as that first one. Good texture but flattish. I am exceedingly careful in measuring, which I do by weight, so I can’t figure out what the problem is. My question: if I can tell immediately that the dough is too wet, can I correct it by adding more flour? Would that mean I throw the whole recipe off balance? If I am mixing flours should I maintain the mix if I add more?

Thanks again for your incredible care and attention. You turned me into a bread baker at a very advanced age.

Barbara: I’ve tried prune, pomegranate, and acai, but not orange. I think juices work well with the bitterness mainly because of sweetness– honey works for same reason. It’s in Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day (http://bit.ly/3wYSSN). Not sure what proportion of orange to use. Maybe up to half the liquid, but that may be going too far.

I have both of your books & have had a lot of success so far with your recipes! My question: i have seen (& read in your books) about the shortest time the dough should sit after mixing a batch before it can be used. But I have not seen a LIMIT to how long the dough CAN sit out & not go bad. I made a batch late evening & then fell asleep. The dough was still on the counter (covered with plastic wrap) when I got up in the morning. Can I still put the dough in the fridge & use it? Or should I through it out & start again (which i hate to do, this was my first time using the whole wheat basic recipe with 7.5 cups of flour)?

Also, 2 suggestions/requests, do you have a recipe for Rosemary Bread? I have used your herb option that goes with your Boule, but it has a much milder flavor than our local Italian rest, who’s Rosemary bread I would like to make. And, is there a way to make the Sun-dried tomato Parm bread where the Tomato & Parm are mixed within the dough (vs layered in then rolled)? I tried to mix in tomatoes and parm into the dough & it worked, but the bread was flat & did not rise much even during baking.

We bought Healthy Bread, b/c we enjoyed your first book so much. Thank you for your wonderful books!

my question today is: how to fix a loaf that did not quite cook fully. I did put them back in the oven for about 10 mins. but it did not finish cooking in the middle. I have decided it is not a good idea to bake 2 loaves at the same time, these were in loaf pans.

Sorry, I don’t remember the recipe, I have been trying so many. This has become an obsession to figure out the best of the recipes and try to whittle it down to a few that I would make on a regular basis. I will get a new thermometer and see if that makes a difference. I want to let you know that since I put a hole in the lid of my bucket, the dough stays moist. It was drying out on top before that. Thanks again for a wonderful bread making experience.

I had just about come to the end of my rope with experimenting on various bread recipes, when I decided to try your method. It’s a keeper! I have finally convinced my husband not to buy bread in plastic bags. Also–thank you for posting your videos here and on YouTube. I love the extra personal touch of showing you both making the bread in your actual kitchens. I did have a question to post but I watched those videos and got it resolved. My only problem now is that my fridge isn’t big enough to hold a huge container of dough! I’m telling all my baking friends about your books. Keep up the great work!

Some time back a reader sent in a comment/request which stated that she couldn’t find or get Bob’s Red Mill vital wheat gluten. she wan’t sure, but thought they no longer might be producing it. Down here in San Antonio TX, both the HEB – a local chain – and Whole Foods Market carry Bob’s Red Mill vital wheat gluten, therefore, I’m assuming that it is still available. Perhaps her source was temporarily out of stock.

I use the method for the master recipe but use the dough fresh that day and make 2x 2-pound sandwich loaves (ie. no refrigeration and 40 minute final rest time in tin).

My question is: If I am always using fresh dough and make 2x 2-pound sandwich loaves, to bake at the same time, can I shortcut the recipe like this:
1. Mix wet and dry ingredients using spoon in mixing bowl.
2. Transfer dough directly into 2x sandwich loaf tins for its initial 2 hour rise.
3. Use pastry brush to paint water on top prior to baking and bake WITHOUT needing another 40 minute rest time because the bread has already risen undisturbed in its baking tins.

Will this shortcut method work?

If it does work, should I wait a full 2 hours for the bread to deflate, or should I bake it while it’s still fully puffed up?

(I also don’t slash the loaf diagonally anymore because my bread rises more when I don’t.)

I have tried this, and it does actually work, but you will have to give it a try and see if you like the results as well. You will want to let it rest until the dough has risen, but not collapsed. This time will depend on type of dough and how warm the room is.

I have purchased a “sprouted grain bread” at our local artisan bakery. They said it is easily digested because your body recognizes it as a vegetable rather then a grain. Would love to make this bread and am wondering if you have a recipe or will be developing one?

I tried to bake the Hearty Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread from HBin5. I tried to make a sandwich loaf, so I placed the dough in a 8.5 x 4.5-in loaf pan. All the steps went well except for the baking. The directions says to bake it at 450 F with a broiler pan filled with some hot water. I did that, but I noticed that the crust started browning faster than I had anticipated. After 40 minutes of baking, I went back to the kitchen and smelled something burning. I saw the crust had turn dark brown. I took it out and the crust had burnt, but the rest of the bread was fine.

I flipped through some more recipes and noticed that for the Soft Whole Wheat Sandwich Bread recipe in HBin5, it calls for baking at 350 F. Is the 450 F a typo? Should I try the recipe again at 350 F? Thanks!

Alex: That 2nd loaf has lots of egg and honey; that’s why it needs 350– those ingredients burn (not lean dough like the one you tried, that works well at 450. Best guess is that your oven temp is off or that it’s very uneven. Check temp with something like http://ow.ly/8CVPU and consider using a baking stone even though you’re using a loaf pan and it’s not required (to even out the heating). Something like…

Thanks for the very quick reply. I’ll try baking it again with the oven thermometer inside. I’ll consider purchasing a baking stone after my second attempt. Hopefully the crust will won’t be as crunchy!

the crust was very, very tough. i used King Artur’s unbleached, and today i used their whole grain. I put water in the oven and still the same result. the inside of the bread is a little wet unless it gets to 208 or higher.

i just dont know what the problem is. i use the “convection roast” setting. could that be the problem?

I don’t have the page # because I downloaded the ebook but it is under the “Lazy Sourdough Shortcut”. You say that I can use up to 2 cups of old dough in the new batch, just mix it in with the water for your new batch and let it stand until it becomes soupy before you start mixing the new recipe.
Should I remove this from my bucket or put my flour directly on top of it? And if so does this affect the amount of water used in the overall recipe?

By the way I killed the yeast in my first batch by putting it in too warm a spot, it doubled in size. My loaves never rose and were a disaster, thats why I am makiing a new batch so soon. Will this bad batch ruin my second batch if I use it for the 2 cups of old dough? Sorry this is so long. I desperately want to make healthy homemade bread.

Sorry Zoe the website just confused me more because I don’t have a scale and you were referring to a different recipe. I am using the Master Recipe from HBin5. So I guess I’m just gonna wing it by putting all 4 cups of water, along w/ 1 1/2 T yeast and 1 T salt according to the Master, blend, then dump the rest of my dry ingredients on top of the wet and mix and pray. But thanks for trying to help. I guess I just wasn’t clear
enough.
Jane

I recently did a search to find a bread that I used to really enjoy when I lived in the Westerly, RI area, which has a fairly large population from Calabria. Some bakeries sold a thin, dried bread they called “frise”. At some local restaurants it was topped with a tomato bruschetta and a crumbly cheese- goat cheese or blue cheese. The bread would be very thin and about 7 or 8″ in diameter. The juices from the tomato would soak into the bread. It was served cold (fresh tomotoes, diced small with onion, garlic,basic and olive oil, basically) and was wonderful. I finally found some recipes by googling “Calabria bread” and “Calabrian pita” and found it under the name “friselle”. I thought you might enjoy it. You can store it for a long time since it is totally baked, but is also great hot (or at least the recipe I found on line that had durum wheat, whole wheat and regular flour and was made with a several rise process.) Thanks for all your great recipes. I just bought your Pizza book- now have three of your books!

Jeff,Thanks so much for responding so quickly, because I had not built up the courage to do it yet. I was wondering if after using the immersion blender on my warm water would cool it down too much for the new batch.
Jane

The water may cool off slightly when you add the old dough. If so, just let it rest for an extra 30 minutes or so during its initial rise. This isn’t entirely necessary, but it also won’t hurt the dough.

HI JEFF,
I ENJOYED READING YOUR BOOK ON ARTISAN PIZZA AND FLATBREADS IN 5 MINUTES A DAY.
MAYBE YOU CAN HELP ME. BACK IN THE LATE 50’S, WHILE ATTENDING JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL IN THE BRONX I USE TO GO PAST A PIZZA SHOP ON BOSTON POST RD DAILY DURING LUNCH. AS SOON AS I GOT CLOSE TO THE PIZZA SHOP I NOTICED A DISTINCTIVE & UNIQUE SMELL I NEVER SMELLED BEFORE. THIS SMELL CAME FROM CHEESE AND SINCE I WAS RAISED IN A KOSHER HOME I NEVER KNEW FROM THIS SORT OF SMELL.
WELL, THIS SMELL, TO ME WAS LIKE VOMIT. HOWEVER, AFTER PASSING THIS SHOP MANY TIMES AND NOTICING MY FELLOW STUDENTS OFTEN EATING THERE I DECIDED TO TRY PIZZA, FOR THE FIRST TIME.. IT WAS EXCELLENT AND I BECAME INSTANTLY HOOKED.
HOWEVER, THESE DAYS YOU JUST CANT FIND THE SAME PIZZA SMELL ON PIZZA. TO ME IT MUST BE THAT THE CHEESES USED ARE DIFFERENT. JEFF – WOULD YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW
WHAT SORT OF PIZZA CHEESE WAS USED BACK THEN VERSUS NOW?
ALSO, WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIZZA PLACE(S) IN ALL OF NEW YORK OR EVEN PHILADELPHIA? I RECENTLY TRIED THE
CHAIN CALLED ANTHONEY’S COAL FIRED PIZZA. IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST YET.
HERE IS A LONG SHOT – I HAD A GOOD FRIEND WHO LIVED BACK IN THE 60’S IN BKLYN CALLED HANK HERTZBERG – ARE YOU POSSIBLY RELATED?
I HOPE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK.

Steve: I worked in a pizza place in the 70s, in Queens, and I know the smell you’re talking about. Legend has always had it that the secret to NYC pizza-cheese was secret source in Wisconsin, but that’s as far as my knowledge goes. I can tell you it’s a commercial product, not like the stuff we’re talking about with fresh mozzarella cheese (which, nostalgia aside, I think is superior). So unfortunately, I can’t help. I bet the closest would be a commercial mozzarella that’s not part-skim– so full fat. The top of the pizza was always oily in NYC pizza, and it wasn’t from the drizzle of olive oil you use in authentic Neapolitan pizza. Pizzerias in NYC didn’t do that (high-end ones of today of course do it).

Hank Hertzberg– not a relative of mine, as far as I know. I ‘ll check with my mom though. Not a common name so it’s always fun to ask. Jeff

HI JEFF, I APPRECIATE YOUR PROMPT REPLY.
MY GUESS REGARDING THE CHEESE IS THAT WAS A 50/50 MIX OF MOZARELLA AND PARMIAGANO OR PECORINO ROMANO; THE LATTER CHEESES HAVE A STRONGER AROMA TO THEM THEN MOZARELLA.
I NOTICED YOU DID NOT COMMENT AS TO WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE PIZZA PLACES IN THE NYC AREA OF PHILA?
RECENTLY I HAD THE $5.00 A SLICE OF PIZZA, IN THAT DIVE OF A PLACE ON AVE J IN BKLYN. IT WAS HIGHLY RATED BY ZAGAT. I FOUND IT – WAY OVER PRICED BUT GOOD. HOWEVER, NOT WORTH THE TRIP THERE.

Got all your books and love ’em. One issue I’ve had in some of your whole grain recipes, like my last effort with your 100% whole grain maple oatmeal bread, is that it seems too grainy to do the “cloak” maneuver with the ball, before rising. I’m very careful on measurement and attention to ingredients, yet the cloak just breaks the dough as if it isn’t sticky enough to hold together. The outcome usually is a very dense and tasty bread, but more like a brick! The maple/oatmeal was the most severe in this way. As I said, I’ve seen this with some other recipes that don’t use any white flour, relying on whole grains (rye, etc.) and added whole wheat gluten. The inevitable question – did I do something wrong?

A bread that is made with 100% whole grains and oatmeal is going to be dense by nature, there just isn’t the gluten strength to create the stretch you are looking for. Are you having this same issue when you make the master recipe?

One thing you can try is adding more vital wheat gluten to the recipe, but you will also need to add more water to compensate. Start with up to a 1/4 cup more VWG and 1/3 cup more water.

I have no problems with the master recipe or most others. It was most pronounced with the whole wheat/oatmeal. The notion of stretching the surface of the dough on all four sides to form the ball is the one that really didn’t work. Attempting the stretch just broke a lump off, so I started to think I must have done something wrong. Other whole grain mixes have been similar but less severe.

Thanks Zoe & Jeff. I have started weighing all ingredients instead of a volume metric. Maybe the water was short. In part, the question was a philosophical one. There’s no question the cloaking is very different with a high percentage of white flour/gluten in it as compared to a heavy grain. Some recipes seem to really push the edge of that technique’s effect.

Yes, you can freeze the bread. Let it cool completely before wrapping. Wrap very well and freeze. To defrost, let the bread sit on the counter, still wrapped until it is defrosted. The loaf will lose its crust, so you may want to crisp it up in the oven for a about 10 minutes.

I have loved the recipes you provided in the cooking club magazine. My 12 year old son and I make that bread often. Thanks so much. LOVE IT.
I am guessing that if I buy one of your books about bread in five min. a day that I will find more like that?
Thanks so much. I’m just so thrilled to use that recipe.

Hi Jeff and Zoe, I am happily using “Artisan Bread in 5 minutes a day” I now have the reputation of being a great bread baker. Thank you! A couple of things I have picked up along the way. Rather than using a pan of water in the oven I use a unglazed stoneware cloche (you could use a cast iron dutch oven as well) which I preheat to 450 while the dough is resting on a piece of corn meal dusted parchment paper. I score the dough and pick it up with the paper after it has sat for 45 minutes and put it in the cloche. Put on the lid and set my timer for 1 hour. I remove the lid after an hour and allow the bread to stay in the oven for 15 minutes longer. Voila! Wonderful crust, custard crumb. Now to my question. How do I keep it crusty? If I simply leave it on the cutting board it dries out. If I put it in a plastic bag I lose the crust. Any suggestions about how to keep bread. Thanks!

I just bought your book “artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day”. A couple questions.
Most European bread I know of while living in Europe was fresh for only one day. Do the breads in your book become stale/hard after one day?
Since I worked in Germany for 18 years I would love to make the Brotchen rolls which were served everywhere. Which of your recipies is closest to the Brochen and what size piece of dough should be used (by weight). Also how long do you bake them?
Thank you for your assistance.

I have been making your breads for over a year now and want to experiment with the spent grains from my son’s beer making endeavors. (I think it’s mostly barley.) I find recipes on line, but I don’t know how to adjust the ingredients to make it wet enough to not have to knead (your style). Could you give me a little guidance? I’d love to NOT use any white flour. Many thanks from Maui.

Timely to see your video this morning where you’re demonstrating pizza. I’ve been “playing” with pizza a lot this winter and got your third book (have the others!) when I saw the pizza focus. The dough/crust turned out great and very tender! The trouble I had (and have had with kneaded versions as well) is the spring in the dough. I can flatten it to 1/8 inch on a board but once picked up to transfer to peel or oven it contracts and thickens. Any solutions to my last technical problem?? (I noted that your dough didn’t seem to do that on your posted video!)

If you go to the tips and techniques section of the book you will find this covered in some length. The short answer is to let the dough rest for 30-60 minutes before rolling it out. Moving the dough may cause it to contract, so just stretch it back out once you bring it to the peel. In Italy I saw them stretch it right before going in the oven, with toppings already on.

If you just cut the 1/2 batch in 1/2 again, you will end us with a single batch. Doing this will reduce the time savings. You may want to make a larger batch and just freeze some of the dough for the next time.

After moving back ‘stateside’ from Germany last year, my family went through a period of mourning. We miss many things, not the least of which is the BREAD!!! : ) How happy we all were when I began giving your recipes a go!! Danke! Merci! Gracias! THANK YOU!!! Though we still really miss living in Europe , your recipes have helped bring us a little closer!
I just tried the Brioche filled with Chocolate Ganache (Artisian Bread in Five Minutes a Day) replacing the ganache with equal amounts of Nutella and didn’t drizzle the top with ganache. Amazing!! ( I need to try the brioche with your ganache recipe to compare the results.) Delicious!!

I have been trying the rye recipe from the cookbook. The taste is great, the crumb seems a little too wet after baking. The biggest issue we’ve had though is getting it to raise “up.” Our bread seems to just spread out on the peel while it rests and even a bit more when it starts to bake. It really doesn’t have much thickness in the center. I try not spread it out when I make it into a loaf. Any suggestions? We really do love the bread and just wish we could make it a bit thicker.
Thanks so much,
Cindy

Hello,
I’ve been looking around your website & I’ve just ordered the healthy bread in 5 mins and the pizza books. I’m wondering if I ordered the wrong book though. Does the healthy bread book have white bread, brioche & challah recipes? Should I have gotten the artisan bread book instead? Not sure if I’d be able to get my family to eat brown bread all the time or if I can get whole wheat flour. I’ve only been able to get unbleached white bakers flour in bulk in my supermarket.
Thanks,
Jennifer.

Are there substitutes for malt powder and malted wheat flakes in your recipe for English Granery-style bread on page 91 in Artisan Bread in 5 minutes? Or are there other places to order them other than King Arthur Flour? (too expensive) My zip is 01923.
Also, exactly what do these two ingredients do?
Thank you for any help.

Barbara: They provide flavor and texture. You can skip the malted wheat flakes, but you need malt powder or syrup. Beer supply store? As for the flakes, it’s just KAF, otherwise mail-order from England– much more expensive.

I followed the recipe for Chapati from the Artisan Pizza and Flatbread in Five Minutes a Day and it turned out to wet to handle. When I tried the Roti/Flour Tortilla recipe from the same book, it turned out dry. Is the amount of liquid correct in the book or did I do something wrong? Thanks.

Hi! I just discovered you all and your books – I love to make bread, but yes, never find time for it – so thank you. My question is about as basic as it gets – probably a “duh” question and perhaps I’m being too anal – but….in the basic recipe – it says to mix the yeast, etc. in the water in, preferably, a container with a lid, then add all the flour…using your mixer of choice – so here’s the question – if I’m using a standmixer – do I then pour the water mixture into the bowl and then add the flour and then put it back into the container? Please don’t roll your eyes : ) if I’m missing something so basic as to be funny, but I’ve read the FAQs and the book and I’m thinking that’s it, but…..help?

I made the basic recipe with unbleached flour and the SAF yeast. I rose well in 2 hours. When I made the 1# bread it was fine. Today, 2 days later, the master dough in the big bucket had dropped, I made a bread but it did not rise properly. What would be the problem? Consistency after mixing all ingredients was fine. Could the yeast be too old?

Using your Healthy Bread book daily and love it. Slowly working my way through the recipes.
A few questions:
1. In the oatmeal bread, p. 191, surely the steelcut oats must be pre-cooked??
2. In the olive spelt, p. 96, can Greek yogurt be used?
3. The breads that call for a 450 degree oven and steam intimidate me. Instead of the pleasant smell of baking bread, there is smoke and the burnt smell of cornmeal. Any suggestions??? (I have checked my oven temperature.)

Thanks again for your great work. Your humor, expertise, and accessibility are appreciated.

Patricia: Zoe answered your 1st two questions on the FAQs tab, where you originally posted them on 3/22/12– scroll down to that date or search on your own name. As for alternatives to steam and cornmeal, check out the beginning of Chapter 3 in your book, and the bottom of page 30.

I have recently started grinding my own wheat and was looking for some recipes to incorporate the wheat into our breads. I decided on your Healthy Bread book, and read it cover to cover last night. There is a lot of great info and I am very excited at the thought of always having dough available. I was always a little confused on how to store dough, but this book makes it so easy! The recipes all sound so good. I would love to see a post about grinding wheat berries! There are different kinds and not a lot of good info out there about which to use.

Nicole– gotta tell you: fresh-ground flours behave unpredictably in our recipes because the moisture content at the time you grind will vary all over the place. So you need to see how it goes, adjusting the water so that the dough looks like what you see in our videos (tab above). I did a post on this at http://artisanbreadinfive.com/?p=1165 but that was a different situation; you’ll see what I mean.

Hi Jeff & Zoe! I have recently discovered your books. My family and I can’t thank you enough for the clear and simple approach to bread baking. I have become a hero to my bread loving family. Each recipe I tried was better than the last and we would claim a new favorite until I tried the next recipe. I strongly encourage everyone to take the time to read through page by page. The answers to many of my questions were explained nicely. Take the time to try something new. You will amaze yourself.